Misunderstandings
by calikocat
Summary: Canon up through Motel California. Derek is trying to convince himself and Jennifer that their night was a mistake when Stiles helpfully walks into the loft and Jennifer 'gets it'...though she really doesn't. And Stiles doesn't have time to wonder why his teacher was there in the first place.
1. Misunderstandings

Misunderstandings

calikocat

word count: 2418

Disclaimer: Teen Wolf isn't mine.

Info: Canon up through _Motel California_. Derek is trying to convince himself and Jennifer that their night was a mistake when Stiles helpfully walks into the loft and Jennifer 'gets it'...though she really doesn't. And Stiles doesn't have time to wonder why his teacher was there in the first place.

A/N: :Flails: Wow, my first Teen Wolf fic...Can we pretend that Erica is alive? I prefer her alive to dead. She's not in this fic...but I just wanted that thought out there. ;

XXX

The moments he laid there before he opened his eyes were filled with dread. He was healed physically; his night with Jennifer had ignited a passion he hadn't felt since... Derek let a shudder roll through him, best not to think of that. He needed her out of here, the sooner the better. She had no idea what she was getting herself involved in.

She'd said she'd be okay, that she'd been hurt before, and that she could handle it. However he hadn't elaborated, hadn't told her anything, not why he'd been so wounded, practically dead, or why he'd gone to her for help.

He sighed and rose from the bed, reaching for his clothes...thought better of it, and found some that were clean. No sense in putting the rags on that he'd almost died in, though the jeans might be salvageable. When he turned to face the bed he was unsurprised to find her watching him.

"Is this the part where you tell me last night was a mistake?"

"Those wouldn't have been my exact words, but I would like for you to leave. My life is too dangerous...enough people have gotten hurt because of me."

She rose from the bed, the afternoon light cascading her body in a warm, inviting light. "Is that the truth?" Her movements were smooth as she found her clothes, putting on each article with a practiced motion. He strangled the desire he felt, there was no need for a repeat. He really didn't want her hurt.

"Yes. My life is complicated enough. I don't need anyone else throwing themselves in the crossfire." His thoughts immediately shifted to Erica; Erica who was broken and healing so slowly under Deaton's care. That night in the bank Allison had thought she was dead...unable to hear the barely there heartbeat. It had been close.

"Maybe I can help?" She eyed his stomach as if she could see through the clean shirt he'd put on. "Because I'm pretty sure what we did helped you heal...though I'm not sure how. You're not an open wound anymore."

Derek winced. "Last night was..."

"You needed it." She stated.

He nodded. "I did but it can't happen again."

"Why?"

"It...It just can't Jennifer. There are things...I already have..."

Her eyes changed, grew sad. "Is there someone else?"

And he really should have expected what happened next, because the door was sliding open and Stiles was trudging in. The boy moved with a slowness...but Derek didn't think it had anything to do with caution.

"Hey Derek. Good to see you're not dead like we all thought, could you maybe have oh I don't know...called someone? Do you have any idea the guilt Scott's been dealing with? Boyd's slow burning anger...or the fact that Isaac is pretty much one big freak out?"

Derek sighed and ran a hand through his hair, glad that at least Jennifer was dressed. "Stiles. Do you ever knock?"

"You don't knock when you show up at my place expecting help or research or...Ms Blake?" His voice trailed off in a squeak, suddenly taking in the recently clothed woman...standing beside the recently debauched bed with wide disbelieving eyes. "Oh wow...I am so glad I stopped for food on the way here." Then he glared at Derek. "My teacher? Really?"

Jennifer, for her part, looked equally as scandalized; the similarity of their expressions would have made Derek laugh...if he remembered how too. Then she turned her eyes on Derek...and he wasn't sure what to make of her new expression. She swallowed, and nodded at him. "I'm sorry. You tried to tell me...he's...well...god this is awkward. Derek he's so young."

Stiles blinked at that. "Oh come on, I'm a month away from being seventeen."

Jennifer moved around the bed, bringing her within touching distance of Stiles. She put her hands on his shoulders. "I meant so much younger than Derek." Her words were gentle, placating. Stiles wasn't getting it. Derek refused to do something as ridiculous as face palm.

Stiles cocked a brow in amusement. "Derek is only four years older than me."

That...seemed to bring her up short, as if only just realizing that she was in fact older than Derek. Her eyes found him, wide, in shock. "You're only twenty-one?"

Derek nodded; he knew he looked older, especially with the stubble. If he shaved he looked younger, much younger, and too young to be leading a pack of wolves. So he kept the stubble. "Barely."

"Oh god." She turned those sad guilty eyes back to Stiles and ruffled his hair. "I'm so sorry Stiles. I didn't...I'm sorry. It won't happen again. He...well I guess we're both at fault." She swallowed. "I'll leave you two alone...I'm sure you need to have a talk." With that she rushed out of the loft.

Derek watched her go, stomping down the guilt he felt. Stiles impromptu arrival had led her to a conclusion. It was the wrong one, he found the kid annoying...if helpful and loyal at the worst of the times. At the best of times...well...Stiles was...Stiles.

Stiles finally tore his gaze from the door to look at Derek. "I can't believe you had sex with my teacher. God...everyone was freaking out...and I was trying to keep your damn puppies from killing themselves...and you were partying with Ms. Blake.

Derek blinked. "What?"

Stiles rolled his eyes. "We stayed at a haunted motel last night. Boyd tried to drown himself; Isaac had flashbacks of his dad's freezer...and Scott..." Stiles gulped and shuddered, Derek blinked at the scents coming from the teen, fear, desperation... "Scott poured gasoline all over himself and nearly set himself on fire with a road flare Derek."

"_What__?_"

"And Lydia, Allison and I spent the night trying to keep your hallucinating puppies from killing themselves. But that's not why I'm here."

He'd need to get the whole story about the night's events later. Whatever was going on with Stiles now...was...the way the kid was moving toward the couch was slow, tired. Hurt. "Stiles? Why are you here?" 'Why you are in pain,' was left unsaid.

Stiles shrugged and winced as if he regretted the action. "I figured if I'm gonna be a message again I can at least make sure it's delivered this time."

"What are you talking about?"

He gingerly sat down on the couch. "That night with Gerard and the Kanima."

"You were missing for a few hours, I remember."

"I was missing because the crazy old man kidnapped me, beat me bloody, and then let me go." Stiles gave a bitter smirk. "Scott was supposed to find me like that, beaten, bloody...only that never happened."

Derek grimaced, he remembered that night in vivid detail, and he did recall Stiles looking in less than stellar shape after he ran the Kanima down with his jeep...wait...Stiles was implying... "So you're being used as a message again?"

"Yeah."

"By who?"

"Deucalion."

Rage ran through him. After everything else the Alpha pack had done, taking Erica and Boyd ... holding them and Cora captive...nearly killing Erica who was still in a coma, unresponsive...why go after Stiles...Stiles who was very much human. "What happened?"

"After your show down with Duke and his pack he and Kali paid me a little visit." Stiles sighed and raised his shirt up. There on his side...was a bite. "It's healing already. It's not healing as fast as Scott's bite, but I feel different already."

"Shit. He's turning you."

"And we all know what he does to his pack by now, Cora filled me in by the way, and can I just say I'd rather not join his pack. Ya know, since he has a habit of killing his betas and taking their power. Can you even do what I'm asking? Do you even know what I'm asking?"

"You want me to bite you, so you'll be mine and not his."

"Hell yes."

"You realize he wants me to kill my betas and join his pack of Alphas."

"Can we cross that bridge when we come to it? I just don't want to be his."

Derek nodded and moved closer to the couch. "Take off your shirt and lay down. I'm going to bite you more than once...you have to want this Stiles."

Stiles slid his shirt off and grimaced. "Peter offered me the bite once."

Derek paused once he was kneeling beside the couch. "I didn't know that."

"I refused it. Told him I didn't want it. He said I was lying." Stiles' eyes hardened. "Maybe he thought I was...but I never wanted this."

"I know. Lay down Stiles. Better the devil you know."

"Yeah." Stiles sighed and flopped back on the couch, the very opposite of grace. "God why is this my life?"

"Roll to face me so I can bite your other side."

He did so and Derek shifted to his in between form. "It's going to hurt."

"Just do it."

He sunk his fangs into the smooth, freckled skin. Stiles was silent but for an intake of breath. Derek released him and rolled him on his back. "Ready?"

"How many more?"

"At least two, around your shoulders and neck."

"Closer to the heart right?"

"Yeah."

"Okay."

Derek leaned over him again and bit him, teeth sinking into the flesh of Stiles' throat; he avoided the artery, not wanting the kid to bleed out. Then again he bit him, this time on his left shoulder. "You may not feel anything yet-" Stiles was staring at him, eyes vacant, yet filled with pain. "Stiles?"

"I can feel it...I think he can too." His body twitched. "You may have to bite me again."

"You may not be able to survive-"

"Just do it Derek...please...Alpha." Stiles voice broke on the word and he bared his throat in submission.

Derek sighed, and bit him one more time. Directly above his heart. The whine that came from Sitles' throat was definitely lupine in nature and he clung to Derek as he pulled away.

And then he started seizing. It was reminiscent of the seizures Erica had before she was turned. Quickly Derek turned Stiles on his side and held him, whispering reassurances to the boy, hoping they didn't sound as empty as they felt. He ran his hands up and down Stiles' side, his arm, practically petting him, doing whatever he could to make the change easier...he had no idea if Stiles was going to survive this. And if he did...he wasn't sure his bites were enough to make Stiles his instead of Deucalion's.

After nearly twenty minutes the seizing subsided and Stiles' eyes flew open, still their usual honey color. "Bathroom." He gasped. Derek had him there in seconds and Stiles threw up whatever was in his stomach...including an inky blackness that resembled the mess that Gerard Argent had ejected from his body all those months ago.

As Stiles threw up and gagged; Derek held him up and kept him from toppling over...and then he could feel it, the bond between them snapping into place. The bile Stiles was ridding his body of was his way of rejecting Deucalion's bite.

"Please tell me you have mouth wash...I taste so rank right now."

"Can you stand?"

A beat of silence. "I can probably lean."

Derek snorted and lifted Stiles up until he had the teen propped against the bathroom counter. True to his word he could lean, but his body was shaking, so Derek wasted no time getting a cup and filling it with water. "This first."

Sties reached for the cup, his hand just steady enough to accept the water and rinsed his mouth out, spitting it into the sink. He sipped it a bit then and poured the rest out. Derek took the cup and poured just a bit of mouthwash into it. Stiles rinsed his mouth out again, and then repeated with water. "Thanks."

Derek placed the cup back on the counter before taking Stiles chin and forcing their eyes to meet. He made Alpha eyes at the teen, his glowing red gaze reflecting in the mirror. Stiles gulped, only returning the look for a second before his eyes glowed blue and he subtly bared his throat.

"Better?"

"Worst day of my life...but I can deal." His trembling increased. "Can't lean anymore."

Derek rolled his eyes and caught Stiles before he hit the floor. "Can you eat?"

"You want me to barf all over you?"

"You'll need to eat, if not now then when you wake up."

"You're not going to knock me out are you?"

Derek by this time had carried him out of the bathroom and to the bed. "I won't need too. You're going to need the sleep."

"Dude, you toss me on your bed while it smells like sex and my teacher and I will definitely barf. All. Over. You."

Derek glared at him. Stiles glared back. Derek growled and detoured to the couch where he laid down and settled Stiles on top of him. "Go to sleep."

Stiles raised his head up to look down at him. "Dude!"

"Shut up Stiles. You're going to sleep. Then you're going to eat. _Then_ you can tell me what happened at Hotel Transylvania."

A pause, a blink. "Did you just make a Saint-Germain reference?"

Derek's brain stuttered to a halt and his eyes snapped to Stiles', which were back to their human honey color. "I'm surprised you know the series and didn't assume I meant the kids movie."

Stiles gave him a 'bitch please,' sort of face. "Please, Saint-Germain is like the coolest vampire ever...except for Spike. Spike is awesome...Dude...you read?"

Derek reached up and shoved Stiles' head down to his shoulder, tucking the teen's face into his throat. "Shut up Stiles."

"Freaking Sourwolf."

Derek rolled his eyes. Having Stiles as a beta was...going to be interesting.

Scott was going to freak. That almost made this worth it...and it didn't hurt that he had Stiles in his arms.

XXX


	2. Point of View

Point of View

calikocat

word count: 2012

Disclaimer: Teen Wolf isn't mine.

Info: Canon up through _Motel California,_ except that I refuse to kill Erica off. So there.

A/N: Arghh! Couldn't we have found out the truth behind the blue eyes sooner than this? Cause I had to go and think of a reason why Stiles eyes were blue instead of the usual gold. That meant I had to write more and I never meant for this to be anything more than a one shot. :grumbles: Also...its never been made clear if Stiles has ADD or ADHD...or did I miss that somewhere? :shrugs: Also, please note that this chapter and the next were written before the big reveal about Jennifer.

XXX

The apartment was darker now; the last rays of the sun just barely illuminated the loft in a deep orange glow. Sunset then. Derek breathed in slowly, taking in the scent of the warm body that rested on his own. Stiles smelled as he always did, young, spicy, innocent, and a little medicinal from the drugs he took for his ADD...and now there was a touch of animal. Of wolf.

He replayed the description in his head, his mind tripping over the word innocent. Something Stiles most definitely wasn't, not in some ways...because if Stiles was innocent...his wolf eyes wouldn't be blue.

Damn. The kids, none of them knew what it meant for a werewolf to have blue eyes instead of the usual gold. They knew that red meant an alpha, and that most betas had gold...and no one had asked why some had blue.

He knew his own history, he knew why his had been blue before he became an alpha, and he knew why Peter's were blue. And Jackson's. But Stiles? He didn't think that Stiles would be capable...of that.

Stiles shifted, yawned and rose up a bit. "What time is it?"

"We need to talk."

The boy blinked down at him sleepily. "Already? I haven't even done anything wolfy...the next full moon isn't for a while yet. And I already know most of Werewolf 101, no thanks to you."

"This can't wait Stiles."

He made a go on gesture with his hand before rolling off of Derek and rising up to his feet in one smooth motion. The change was already working its wonders on the kid. "So talk."

Derek sat up and put his feet to the floor, leaving the rest of the couch free for Stiles to collapse on. This...probably wouldn't go over well. "Your eyes."

"Dude, seriously?"

"They're blue; when the wolf is out they're blue."

"So? Yours were blue, Peter's are...Jackson. Actually that always confused me. I thought it was a genetic thing, but Jackson's not related to you."

"It's not genetics. I was born with gold eyes, like all wolves."

Stiles was thoughtful. "So...something makes your eye color change? Like what?"

Derek ran a hand through his hair. "The murder of an innocent." Stiles stilled beside him, unmoving, he had in fact never seen the teen that still, that quiet. "Jackson killed a lot of people when he was the Kanima, when Matt was controlling him, a lot of them innocent."

"Not Isacc's dad."

He was almost relieved that Stiles was talking. "No, not him."

"And your creepy zombie uncle?"

"If he wants to tell you that's up to him."

"Yeah...but he's a lying liar."

"If he tells you I can confirm or deny the story."

A shuddered breath. "And you?"

Derek leaned back and let out a sigh. This was something he never wanted to talk about, think about. He wanted to go back, and take it all back. Save her. From himself. "Her name was Paige."

Stiles watched him, honey eyes seeing more than they should. "You loved her? So...there was someone before Kate."

Ice shot through his veins and he couldn't help the snarl that escaped his lips as he glared at Stiles. "How did you-"

Stiles raised his chin a bit, baring his throat, even as he snarked at his alpha...the brat. "Why do you think Chris Argent was there to stop Kate that night? He and his men confronted me and Jackson at the hospital...mostly 'cause Jackson is an idiot and couldn't back up my lie to save his life." He made a face. "Imagine Chris' surprise when I told him what his batshit crazy sister had done. How badly she'd broken their code."

"How the hell did you figure that out?"

"I'm a lot smarter than everyone thinks I am. I mean I'm not in Lydia's league, but I do okay. Also I've been helping my dad with his paper work since junior high...and I'm good at puzzles. It wasn't hard to piece together."

"Do you always solve crimes for your dad?"

"Trust me, no one gets more annoyed than him when I show up at crime scenes...or when I memorized all the radio codes the department uses." He shrugged. "So...tell me about Paige."

"There were other packs in town then that had gathered for a summit to discuss the hunters. Ennis had just lost some of his pack to the Argents."

"Wait...the big guy that you killed in the show down."

"I didn't kill him. We both fell. I crawled away; the others had to carry him."

"But he's dead...which is sort of why Kali wants you dead even more now, instead of joining their team of psycho alphas."

"You said you were smart Stiles...think about it."

A moment of silence, and Derek could almost see the gears in Stiles' mind turning, putting the pieces together. "Shit." He ran a hand over his face. "Deucalion killed him and took his power...and Kali thinks he died because of the fight with you."

"They'll strike again soon."

"Jesus." The teen took a calming breath. "Okay...Ennis was in town then."

"He'd lost some of his pack. Needed to expand it again. Peter...got in my head."

"He's good at that."

Derek glared at him. "Paige was...my first..." He closed his eyes. "She...she was...I loved her."

There was a nudging at his leg; he opened his eyes to see Stiles giving him another gentle prod. "She was human."

"Yes."

"And Peter got in your head telling you it would never work."

He nodded. "I really should have told my mom to have him banned from school grounds. I should have told her everything. She was my alpha...she would have..."

"Ennis bit Paige."

Derek took a shuddered breath, the old pain, older than Kate's hate and torture, tried to choke him. "Her body rejected the bite. She was dying. And in so much pain."

A strong hand gripped his wrist, narrow fingers wrapping around it and squeezing in comfort. "You ended her pain."

He nodded. "And my eyes changed." Derek shuddered again, and took a moment to pull back the pain, wad it up, and shove it back deep inside of him. "I killed an innocent and my eyes turned blue."

Stiles gave his wrist another squeeze before he pulled back. "And mine were blue the second the change completed."

"I need to know. As your alpha." A tired sigh. "Who did you kill Stiles?"

Stiles seemed to shrink in on himself. Long limbs curling up until his knees were to his chest, arms locked around them. His voice was quiet, steady. "My mom."

Derek didn't stare, didn't judge, he had no right to. He couldn't really imagine Stiles killing for no reason...especially someone he cared about. There had to be a reason. So he waited silently for the boy to continue.

A long silence and a deep breath later he did, his eyes locking somewhere in the vicinity of Derek's chin, as if he couldn't meet his alpha's eyes. "She'd been sick for a while. Cancer. And ...the chemo wasn't really..." He bit his lower lip, eyes bright, shiny with old grief. "Her hair was gone, her body was weak. And she was just so tired." Stiles buried his face in his knees for a moment; a tremor wracked his body before he could begin again. When he did, he was a little calmer, eyes still avoiding Derek's. "It was too advanced, nothing was working. She was getting sicker; her immune system was shot all to hell. We...we had already said goodbye, the two of us. But Dad...he wasn't ready to let her go...I don't think he would have ever been ready to let her go. And God Derek...she was exhausted and ready to leave."

Derek didn't even think about it, his beta was in anguish; he reached over and ran a hand through his wolf's hair. "You helped her?"

Stiles relaxed a bit, tension lessening at the touch. "She didn't ask me too, but she was awake, she watched me...she knew what I was doing." He swallowed his grief. "She was on a lot of machines by then, and that...that wasn't living. It wasn't even existing; she didn't want to be like that. But Dad wouldn't...let her go. So I did."

Derek moved his hand to cup the teen's chin, forcing their eyes to meet. "Tell me."

The honey colored eyes, such a unique color, were steady, still in pain but steady. "It was so easy to move the pulse monitor to my own finger...not sure how I kept my heart rate steady though." He mused for a moment. "But I unplugged the machine. She'd...gotten sicker...her body wasn't even supporting itself. The doctors had told dad it was only a matter of time. And she was ready, even if he wasn't...so I let her go. I unplugged the machine, and put my head on her chest to listen to her heart one last time..." He swallowed and a tear slipped down his cheek. "When it stopped I plugged the machine in, and put the monitor back on her finger." He shrugged. "No one questioned why I was curled up on the bed with her and crying when they came in."

Derek's hand twitched. "How old were you?"

"Ten."

"You didn't do anything wrong."

Stiles' eyes flashed blue. "The hell I didn't."

"You loved her. You didn't want her to suffer. There's nothing wrong with that."

Stiles sneered at him. "If I didn't do anything wrong then neither did you."

"That's not-"

"It's the same thing Derek. We both killed someone we loved. We both helped end their pain. We still killed. That's something we have to live with."

"It is. But now you have someone who knows. And so do I."

"I..." Stiles slumped, the rest of the tension leaving him, Derek let him slip his chin away. "You're the only one I've ever told." He frowned. "Is this an alpha beta thing? I tell you my secrets and I feel better?"

"Partly."

"Do you feel better? I mean since I know and not just your creepy uncle."

"A little."

"Okay."

Derek nodded, satisfied for the moment. "Are you ready?"

Stiles blinked. "For what? We're not starting my training now are we? Because I gotta say I am way too exhausted for that crap. And-" He was interrupted by a loud strangled growl that came from his stomach.

Derek smirked. "I meant for food...but it seems you already answered that question."

"Shut up...yeah...I could eat."

"I'll order pizza. You call your dad. Let him know you're staying with a friend."

"Ugh. I better call Scott first so he can be my alibi."

"Do what you need to."

Stiles sighed and pulled out his cell phone. "So...my teacher...really?"

Derek tried not to blush. "None of you were around, the alphas were at Deaton's, and I was half dead. I ended up at the school as she was leaving."

"And how did you end up with no wounds?"

Derek glared at him. "Sometimes sex can speed the healing process."

"So jumping into bed with Ms Blake was a survival thing?"

"No...I...was weak. It had been a long time."

Stiles winced at that, obviously thinking about Kate Argent. "Okay." He cleared his throat. "So...sex can be healing. Huh. Good to know."

"Just make your calls Stiles."

"Yes sir, Alpha sir."

Derek groaned and glared at the ceiling. He wasn't sure he'd survive having Stiles in his pack.

XXX


	3. Touch of Insanity

Touch of Insanity

calikocat

word count: 1880

Disclaimer: Teen Wolf isn't mine.

Info: Canon up through _Motel California_. Except for the part where I refuse to kill Erica and Boyd off. So there. Stupid canon.

A/N: Not sure what happened here. This was never supposed to be anything more than a one shot. :grumbles: Also...:FLAIL ATTACK: I never saw the newest thing with Jennifer coming...(don't wanna say anything because my beta hasn't watched TW yet) but it gave me an idea towards an end game with this fic.

XXX

This may have been one of the stupidest things he's ever done… more so than turning a bunch unruly teens. Because his newest wolf wasn't just any unruly teen, this was _Stiles._ The sheriff's son, the kid who was entirely too clever for his own good and despite his snark and complaints was as likely as Scott, more so actually, to jump headfirst into danger to save someone. Even someone that was stronger and faster than him, like all the times he'd rushed to save each member of Derek's pack. And the times he'd helped Derek directly, even when Derek was threatening his life.

Said extraordinary teen was currently sleeping on Derek's couch, still shirtless, having nearly eaten his weight in pizza. Said teen was curled up and whimpering, obviously caught up in a nightmare. Whether it was from their talk about his mother, or Deucalion, or anything the kid had witnessed in the past year he didn't know.

He'd gotten the full story about the field trip and the track meet that never happened. The extent of Scott's injury, the hallucinations, and the suicide attempts at the hands of the Darach. Though really did Stiles have to save Ethan too? The other Alpha was only going to cause trouble for their pack. But in all, Stiles had done well. And that was the thing wasn't it? Stiles always thought of others. He'd even saved an enemy, someone who in Derek's eyes didn't deserve to be saved.

Derek sat on the floor beside the couch, his hand absently ghosting over the bites he'd given Stiles. Deucalion's mark was gone, healed while Derek's lingered, which meant he had won this round. He hoped he won them all. They were ragged and tired, but they were pack and he didn't want to lose them. When Stiles twitched again he put his hand on the boy's shoulder, putting some actual pressure against his skin. Stiles stilled, quieted, and sighed in his sleep. The pack bonds were still new and fragile, and some had even almost broken at one point. But with Stiles now a part of the web...he could feel it strengthening. He wondered what it would mean for Stiles...Stiles was the only one of his wolves that he'd bitten multiple times.

He heard their approach before the door slid open and three familiar scents drifted into the loft. He turned his head to see the three wolves that had tried to quietly step inside. Scott, Boyd, and Isaac. Scott's eyes were wide when he caught sight of his best friend, out like a light on Derek's couch. "What happened?"

Derek put a finger to his lips before he stood and motioned them further into the apartment. All three boys followed him, though their eyes were locked on the bites that decorated Stile's torso. Derek ignored the rumbling in his chest at their staring and considered making one or more of them unconscious. However he revised his thoughts and instead grabbed his old leather coat to drape over the teen. Stiles slept on, oblivious that he was the center of attention.

When he joined them in the kitchen Scott darted into his personal space, anger and worry coloring his emotions. "What the hell Derek?"

"It was his choice Scott. He didn't want to join the Alphas."

"What do they have to do with _you_ biting _Stiles_?"

He raised a brow at Scott in disbelief. "He said you felt guilty, but this is ridiculous. Were you really so far gone that you didn't know he was hurt? You couldn't smell his blood?"

All three teens gaped; shock and confusion on their faces. It was Boyd who asked; "When did Stiles get hurt?"

"After the fight in the old mall. Deucalion and Kali tracked Stiles down. Deucalion bit him."

"But...we had the track meet." Scott frowned. "He sat right beside me on the bus for hours."

"You were hurt Scott. You hadn't healed...and I didn't exactly help." Isaac murmured, his eyes briefly meeting Derek's before glancing in Stiles direction. "He was hurt all that time?"

"He was."

Scott cursed and clenched his fists. "Stiles is good at hiding his pain. Ever since his mom died..."

"Is he pack now?" Boyd asked, eyes twitching back toward the couch.

Derek placed a hand on Boyd's shoulder. "If you concentrate on the bonds you'll feel him."

Boyd's eyes closed for a second...when they opened again they were gold, and shocked. "That's not all I feel. Something's happening to Erica."

"What?" Derek focused inwardly, touching at those fragile strands that connected him to his wolves. Threads that should have been thick like ropes. He could see them. The thread that tied him to Erica was thin, sickly. His tie to Boyd was a bit thicker, the one to Isaac, loyal Isaac, was more like twine than thread. But the bond to Stiles, who carried Derek's mark in four places… wasn't a thread, twine, or even a rope. It was a damn chain of reinforced steel with thinner chains woven throughout the larger links.

Somehow he'd made Stiles his second. Derek wasn't even sure how that was possible just hours after the bite. But what really surprised him...were the new bonds being forged between Stiles and the others. He could visualize it as the constant vibrating energy that was _Stiles_ wrapped around each pack member. The bonds becoming like ropes of strength as they should have been from the beginning. Binding the entire pack together.

"What _is_ that?" Scott shuddered, leaning against the counter. Well, well.

Derek snorted. "It seems...that you and Stiles are a package deal."

Wide brown eyes met his. "I'm part of your pack now? Because of Stiles?"

"How is he doing that?" Isaac whispered, staring openly at the back of the couch where Stiles was still sleeping.

"I don't know." And really, he didn't.

Boyd cleared his throat. "That's cool and all...but that's not what I was talking about. _Something_ is _happening_ to _Erica_. He's...doing something."

Derek frowned, checking on the bonds again. And now that he was looking at that particular bond, he could see it. Stiles, he didn't know how the brat was doing it, or even how he knew how, was feeding energy through the bonds to Erica. "Damn." He was across the room in a second and shaking Stiles to wake him. "Stiles. Wake up. Stiles!"

The energy being siphoned to Erica slacked off...and he could feel her healing. She wasn't waking up...but she was healing. Stiles grumbled and opened his eyes, they flickered blue in annoyance. "What?"

"What the hell were you doing?"

A confused gaze blinked at him, still dazed with sleep. "Sleeping?" He nodded mostly to himself. "You know? That thing you do when you're tired and your eyes close and you fall away from consciousness."

He glared. "There was no way you could do that subconsciously."

"What are you talking about? I fall asleep all the time...unless you're talking about something else?"

Derek cupped his chin and forced their eyes to meet. "You healed Erica."

His eyes widened, taking in the surprised looks of the others. "So...I didn't just think about doing that? I actually healed her?"

Derek released his hold and ran his hand through his hair tiredly. "Yes you idiot. Which is something you shouldn't be able to do yet. Only the Alpha or...the Alpha's second should..." Crap. Stiles really was his second. "I'm starting to regret biting you."

Stiles snorted and tugged the coat back over him again. "Whatever. Wake me in the morning when there's food."

"No more messing with the pack bonds Stiles. You need to rest or those bites won't heal."

"Yes, fine, I'll be a good puppy and do what my Alpha says. You're welcome by the way."

Derek closed his eyes for a moment, picturing the pack bonds again. They were healthy, whole. He wondered if the pack could have reached this point sooner if Peter had bitten Stiles that night instead of Scott. They'd never know.

He ran his hand through Stile's hair. "Thank you."

Stiles was already asleep.

"Second?" Isaac asked. "We have to take orders from Stiles now? I'm not sure how I feel about that."

"He uh...does have good instincts. He really called it with Matt. Declared him evil before we even knew he was controlling the Kanima." Scott grinned. "And it was his idea to set Peter on fire."

Isaac's eyes matched his sudden grin and he nodded. "That idea I can get behind."

"He..." Boyd's gaze moved from Stiles to Derek. "Do you know? About what Gerard did?"

"Yeah. I do."

"When they put him in the basement...the first thing he did when he saw us...was try to free us."

"What?" Scott asked, hand reaching to grip Boyd's arm. "What about Gerard?"

Derek shook his head at Scott's confusion. "While you were playing along with Gerard's little scheme the old man kidnapped Stiles and tortured him. He never told you."

Scott stared at his best friend as he sank to the floor. "No. He never told me." He breathed slowly. "But like I said. He's really good at hiding his pain."

They all stared at their newest pack member. His new second in command. Perhaps having Stiles in the pack wasn't as insane as he thought. Well, maybe it was a little insane.

The door opened again and Peter and Cora's scents filled his nose, while his uncle's chuckle drifted to his ears. Speaking of insane.

Peter grinned as he and Cora joined them. "Stiles finally accepted the bite? You know I offered it to him before."

Derek smirked at his uncle; this was going to be fun. "You should be more respectful."

"And why is that?"

"Check the bonds Peter. His rank is higher than yours."

Peter flashed blue eyes at him...then paused in surprise. "_He's _your _second?_ Really? Stiles?"

"He's not a bad choice. Better than you." Cora looked at their uncle. "And you wanted him to be a wolf to begin with."

Stiles shifted and addressed them without opening his eyes. "Thank you Cora. Now, can everyone do the disbelief thing later, or like somewhere else?" Stiles muttered. "I'm _trying_ to sleep."

Cora smirked at Peter as she shoved him ahead of her toward the kitchen. Her eyes were, happy, when they met Derek's. "The bonds haven't felt like this in a long time."

His lips twitched in response. "No. They haven't."

"It's nice." And Derek had to agree.

"As second I'm ordering everyone except Derek and Cora to shut up and let me sleep." Several mouths opened to protest or laugh...but no sound came out because there had been power behind the order. "Finally." And then Stiles was asleep again. The pack stared, slack-jawed, at Stiles before turning their eyes to Derek.

Derek was grinning and trying not to laugh. Stiles was going to do just fine.

XXX


	4. Healing Hand

Healing Hand

calikocat

word count: 3150

Disclaimer: Teen Wolf isn't mine.

Info: Canon up through _Motel California_. Except for the part where I refuse to kill Erica and Boyd off. So there. Stupid canon.

A/N: So I started typing this chapter immediately after _The Girl Who Knew Too Much_. :Flails: I was so shocked/surprised by the BIG revelation. Totally caught me unawares...and then I was inspired with how I could use Evil Jen. Also...I am forever scarred by that revelation because I can't help but mentally compare the Jennifer/Derek love scene to the Uther/Troll love scene from Merlin. Just...ugh. And now after _The Overlooked_ we know Jen, or Julia rather...is even older than we thought... :shudder: Though I know canon Derek is older than I have him here. :shrugs: Derek is gonna need so many hugs after this season. Hell everyone is gonna need hugs. So many hugs.

XXX

The first thing Stiles had noticed when he'd fallen into his pizza coma was the pack bonds. Sure he'd felt them snap into place, or rather his bond to Derek snap into place, once he'd puked up Deucalion's claim on him. And hadn't that been nasty. But here, in this...head space? Stiles wasn't sure what to call it. Whatever it was, wherever it was the pack bonds existed, it seemed to be both inside of him...and separate. And that made absolutely no sense whatsoever.

The second thing he noticed...was the purple and blue haze that seemed to choke the already thin strands between the wolves. That was the first thing he took care of. Just a bit of a mental push...and a deep breath for humor's sake...and he huffed and puffed and blew the poison away. Because even here he could feel the taint of Wolfsbane...though how the hell it got to the bonds themselves he didn't know.

Stiles had his work cut out for him. The bonds were so...sickly. No wonder Erica was still in a friggen' coma. She'd never come out of it at this rate. So he got to work. It was slow going and tedious work strengthening the bonds, making them thicker, and more flexible. Making the bonds into ropes instead of strings that could snap in any given moment.

Lassoing Scott's stubborn werewolf ass was especially fun. He loved his best friend, but really... safety in numbers dude. Maybe Derek wasn't a great Alpha, but he was trying...and now he had Stiles to make him better. They'd be the best pack ever.

But first they had to be fighting fit, and that meant all the pack bonds needed strengthening. Which meant Cora and Peter too. Cora was easy, she was Derek's little sister, the foundation was sturdy, already a chain, though a thin one because of their years of separation. And Peter...that bond was rusty and looked ready to snap. So he polished it, made it new, stronger, and hopefully Peter would retain his sanity and not go all crazy killer on them again. Who knew what had gone through the older wolf's mind since his death and resurrection?

Finally though...was Erica. Her bond to the pack was the first he worked on; he'd strengthened it, and then let it set while he fixed the others. He wanted it that way because now he had to heal her. And Stiles was full of energy from all those wonderful pizza carbs. So it was easy really, pushing energy, power and life through the bond and to Erica. She needed it and he had plenty to spare.

And then Derek woke him up and holy crap...he didn't dream any of that. Oops? And how cool was it that he was Derek's second. Ha! Awesome!

And as he drifted off again...after ordering everyone but Derek and Cora to shut up so he could sleep...he noticed a blemish or two on Derek's...aura? They reeked of wolfsbane and he blew them away. Belatedly he realized that it might have had something to do with the Darach...but whatever the fallen Druid had done, it wouldn't happen again. Not on Stiles' watch. He was second now and he was going to take care of the pack.

The last thing he did as sleep took him...was poke at a few wispy threads that seemed to float in a breeze; little strands that didn't seem to be connected to anyone.

xxx

When Stiles woke up he was ravenous. Or at least the smell of food was making him think he was and with the way his stomach was gurgling it was pretty convincing.

"There are some breakfast sandwiches on the coffee table."

Stiles blinked and sat up, not even knowing how Derek knew he was awake, the coat slipped away as he moved and stretched a bit. A now familiar, and large hand, cupped his chin and Stiles forced his sleepy eyes to meet Derek's. "What?"

"What did you do last night?"

"Slept?"

"Just before you fell back asleep, after you worked on the pack bonds, you did something. I was the only one who felt anything."

Oh yeah... "There were a couple of...marks...on your aura. They felt like wolfsbane...actually there was this whole...cloud of the stuff in the space surrounding the bonds before I started working on them."

Derek released his chin and sat on the coffee table beside the bag of food. "How is that possible?"

"Dude, I've been a wolf for less than a day. I have no idea...but if I had to guess. I bet it was how the Darach was screwing with everyone's heads, aside from somehow lacing Coach's whistle with the stuff. I mean I don't know how they did it, but I bet they were behind it."

Derek nodded absently before picking up the food and shoving it at Stiles. "Eat."

Stiles did, and checked his phone as he chewed. It was still early, but he probably needed to stop at home for clothes. "Thanks, for the food, I'm gonna be stretched for time."

"Do you think you should go? Will you be able to control yourself at school?"

He blinked. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Because you're a newly turned werewolf who hasn't even gone through his first change yet."

"So how do I change?"

"It would help if you had an anchor to give you control."

Stiles thought on that for a moment. "Would the pack bonds work?"

"What?"

"The pack bonds. I...they feel...comforting."

Derek snorted. "They do now anyway."

"Were they like this when your..."

He nodded. "When my mom was Alpha, the pack bonds were strong, solid."

"I've never...been tied to so many people before. It's just been me and my dad for so long. I think I can use the pack as my anchor. Besides, I won't go through a full shift until after my first full moon. Right?"

"Right."

"So I should be okay."

"In theory. Scott was a mess after the bite."

Stiles rolled his eyes. "That's because a pretty girl caught his attention and he fell for her the second he heard her voice and saw her face with its magical dimples."

Derek's lips twitched, possibly in amusement. "The same could happen to you."

Stiles outright laughed at him. "Have you met me? No one's ever been interested, no one gives me a second look and the second I start talking they can't wait to get away from me." He shook his head. "The pack can be my anchor and I can keep my hormones in check."

"Really?"

"Dude, Derek, have you seen the pack? Everyone is walking around like sex on a stick and I've persevered without trying to jump any of you...or Lydia. I'm not Scott, who is perpetually distracted by Allison."

He sighed. "Fine. But if you do start to lose control at school call me. Or at least let the others get you away." Their eyes met and held. "You've got clothes in the bathroom if you want to shower before school."

"It's been a while since you went all creeper and let yourself into my room."

Derek rolled his eyes. "I didn't, you're a new wolf and I wasn't going to leave you on your own with the Alpha pack so close. Scott brought them."

"Oh. Cool. Still have homework that I didn't finish. Nothing big though, I can have it done in twenty minutes tops." He pulled out the last sandwich and started to hand it to Derek.

"You're going to need it. Eat it later if you want." He reached for Stiles and checked the bites he'd left on him, gently probing around each one. "They'll be healed by the end of the day."

"Good...and..." He swallowed and met his Alpha's eyes. "Thank you."

Derek gave him a nod before standing and wandering to the kitchen. Hmm. Stiles shrugged and stood, a shower sounded really good right now.

xxx

The rest of his time in the loft after his shower had been quiet, with hardly any conversation. It seemed they'd both used their quota of words last night and this morning. But it was a...companionable silence, not something they experienced much. So without any preamble he stuffed his clothes from the day before back into his bag and headed to school. He still had that bit of homework to do before class.

The drive to school was normal, and despite the fact that he'd already had breakfast he detoured a bit to get some more food, because he was still hungry. This new need for food was going to be interesting. But nevertheless he got his second breakfast and made it to school with time to spare.

He inhaled his food and then planted himself on the hood of his jeep, notebook in his lap as he completed his assignment.

Stiles was just finishing up when he caught their scents, little warning bells seemed to accompany the unfamiliar smells. He knew they weren't pack; he'd already memorized the scents of the pack last night. But this presence? He knew who was staring at him. Ethan and Aiden. The Alpha Twins.

He closed his notebook and took a sip of his coffee. "Did you need something?"

"Deucalion has been expecting you." Aiden, at least he was pretty sure it was Aiden, glared at him.

"Duke can just keep on expecting me. I'm not gonna meet with him."

Ethan...and the only reason he thought it was Ethan was because his eyes seemed...kinder, looked at him with curiosity. "It's true then. Deucalion's bite didn't take."

Stiles shrugged. "It would have, if I hadn't gone to Derek."

They shared a look. "So he is alive then."

"Yep."

"He's going to join us."

"Nope."

"You can't fight this Stiles." Ethan's eyes were earnest, exasperated. "You should have just let Deucalion's bite take. Derek will be forced to kill you as well as the others now."

"And if I was Deucalion's wolf he'd just kill me and get stronger."

Aiden sneered. "Actually he was hoping you'd kill Derek and take his Alpha power. Something about you being highly intelligent, though I'm not sure I agree with this stunt. How does it feel? You're his newest wolf, bottom of the pack hierarchy, bitch of the pack."

Stiles nearly snorted his coffee. "Dude! Is that what happened to you guys before you became Alphas?" He chortled, actually chortled, which wasn't a thing he usually did. "Got news for you Wonder Twins. I'm not the bitch puppy." He grinned and put his notebook back into his bag. "Class starts soon."

Aiden eyes flashed red. "This isn't a game. It would be in your best interest to kill Derek and join us."

He hopped off the hood of his jeep; Aiden crowded him and blocked his way. "Dude, you need to back off."

"Make me, pup."

Stiles bared his teeth, kept them human...but he let his eyes flash. The color must have startled Aiden, because he gasped and stepped back. "See you in class." He ignored the stares both twins gave him.

xxx

It was surprisingly easy to ignore Ms. Blake and her 'looks' she only gave him one sympathetic look at the beginning of class. And she only smiled specifically at _him_ in what could be considered an encouraging way the one time. But by the end of the class he was so ready to be out of there.

Unfortunately that's not how things went. When the bell rang signaling the end of class she called for him to stay. She wanted to talk for a minute. Lydia, Scott, and Allison gave him odd looks at that.

"Dude?" Scott's eyes met his. "What's up?"

"I'll tell you later."

Satisfied with that his peers left and Ms. Blake closed the door behind them. This was going to be awkward.

"Stiles."

"Ms. Blake."

She smiled at him kindly. It put him on edge. "I feel like I haven't apologized enough for what happened. I shouldn't have pushed so hard...Derek did try to tell me." She bit her lip, he watched her warily, bag slung over his shoulder. "I know there's only four years between you, but I just want to make sure you're being smart about your relationship. Do you really know what you're getting into? Are you using...protection?"

"Did you use protection?" She blushed and he sighed. "Ms. Blake...no offense, but my relationship with Derek isn't any of your business." Not that there was a relationship.

She nodded. "Yes...I know, and I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable. And there I go apologizing to you again."

He shrugged and started to head toward the door, stepping around her. He sneezed as he walked passed. "Just stay out of Derek's bed, apartment, and life we can pretend that it never happened."

She reached for him as he passed, her hand settling on his forearm. There was a tingling where their skin touched...and...a familiar scent tickled his nose. His eyes met hers, and for a brief second...her gaze was cold, hard. He jerked his arm out of her grasp.

Then she was all apologetic smiles again. "See you tomorrow Stiles."

He didn't even nod, he just left the room. That was too weird; even for him.

xxx

"What did Ms. Blake want?" Scott asked later as Stiles sat beside him at lunch, Lydia and Allison were across from them.

"She wanted to fake apologize some more."

Lydia gave him a haughtily raised brow. "Fake apologize?"

"Ugh. Yes. When I got to Derek's loft yesterday she was there...straightening her clothes and hair...and standing beside a bed that had recently seen action." His words earned him three surprised looks.

"Derek and Ms. Blake? Together?" Allison wrinkled her nose. "I'm not sure how I feel about that."

"Well it won't be happening again...because she came to the wrong and very far out conclusion that Derek and I have a thing."

Scott choked on a mouthful of mystery meat that smelled like it was soy based...and nearly swallowed his fork. Stiles zipped his hand forward super fast and grabbed the plastic utensil before it disappeared down his best friend's throat. Scott coughed a bit before finally saying; "She thinks you and Derek are...together?"

"My tone might have been more than a little scolding...since we," he motioned to the girls and himself; "were trying to keep certain wolves from offing themselves while Derek was banging a teacher."

"Stiles." Lydia's voice was cautious. "How did you do that?"

"Do what?"

Allison was watching in much the same manner. "Humans don't move that fast."

He rolled his eyes. "Before you go all Hunter on me, let me remind you that my dad is the sheriff...and I've been able to shoot a gun since I was eight. If you shoot me there is a chance I will shoot back before I ever go grr at you." He sighed. "Deucalion bit me. So I went to Derek to get bitten again. If I'm going to be a wolf and part of a pack...I'd rather be Derek's."

Both girls stared but it was Lydia who asked. "When did you get bitten?"

"The night everyone thought Derek was dead."

"But that means..." Allison trailed off. "You were wounded the same night Scott was."

"I never got to apologize for not noticing." Scott murmured. "You kinda fell asleep."

Stiles shrugged. "What's done is done. I'm just glad I'm not in Duke's Pack of Horrors. Now, back to the fake apology thing...I think Ms. Blake is evil."

Lydia made a face. "Because she slept with your not boyfriend?"

"No, because she put her hand on my arm and it got tingly and it felt like she was trying to get in my head. She might be the Darach."

"We saw the Darach's face in the fire." Allison pointed out.

"I think that anything that could cause hallucinations could probably find a way to hide its real face."

"So what do you want us to do?" Scott asked.

"Keep our distance from her as long as we can, don't let your guard down around her. We can tell Derek about her after school."

The girls gave them odd looks again. "There's something you're not telling us."

Scott nodded. "Stiles is Derek's second...and somehow...making Stiles part of his pack...dragged me into it too. I don't really get how you did that though."

"Dude, don't ask. I was asleep when I started messing with the pack bonds."

xxx

"Uh, Deaton?"

Deaton looked up from his paperwork where he was standing at the counter. "Yes Stiles?"

"I need to see Erica."

"Go ahead."

"Can you clear the way? I'm not sure I can cross with the gate closed."

The vet/druid looked at him, stared actually. "You've been turned."

"Yeah."

"Was it your choice?"

"The bite? No, but I chose my Alpha."

Deaton nodded in understanding and opened the gate in the counter, breaking the barrier of Mountain Ash. "She's still in back...fully healed. Just not..."

"Awake. I know. I uh...might have messed with the pack bonds yesterday."

"Not just anyone can do that Stiles."

"So I've been told." He smiled and shrugged before moving past Deaton and further into the clinic. When he reached the cot where Erica was still...comatose he knelt by her side. All of her injuries had indeed been healed. He'd wanted to wake her up the day before...but Derek had been right about one thing, he didn't need to push himself.

But today was different. He was well rested and his bites were just faint imprints of teeth now. So he put one hand on her forehead, and the other over her heart...and concentrated on the pack bonds. He felt his eyes flash, ignored the surprised gasp Deaton made, and called to Erica's wolf with his own.

There was a rumble through the bond between him and Derek...and then his cell phone went off. Derek knew he was up to something again, but this was not the time to be distracted. He had a Catwoman to wake up.

He poured energy through the bond between them, now that it was fully healed and stronger than ever. Her wolf twitched, shook itself and opened its eyes...and Erica's physical eyes opened, flashing gold.

"Batman?"

He grinned. "Welcome back."

XXX


	5. Spark and Wolf

Spark and Wolf

calikocat

Word count: 2716

Disclaimer: Teen Wolf isn't mine.

Info: Canon up through _Motel California_. Except for the part where I refuse to kill Erica and Boyd off. So there. Stupid canon.

A/N: Started this chapter after watching _The Overlooked_. Just throwing that out there; then I got sidetracked by writing Cosmic Tree.

XXX

Erica was sitting up now, a cup of coffee in her hands as Deaton fussed over her a bit; double checking on her in between doing vet things. Stiles was listening to Derek scold him over the phone.

"I can't believe you did that. You should have at least waited, called one of us to be there."

"I got impatient."

"Don't do it again."

"So...you gonna come check on Erica?"

A sigh. "I just parked outside the clinic."

Stiles tilted his head and listened for the Camaro's engine, he heard it as it shut off. "We're in the back room." Then he hung up.

"So how much trouble are we in?" She was healed, whole...but looked utterly miserable.

"You? None because we're glad you're here and alive. Me? I might get scolded some more."

She smiled a little. "So...you're a wolf now huh?"

"Yeah."

"What made you accept the bite?"

"I didn't."

"What?"

He shrugged. "Deucalion bit me but I'm not a fan of the Super Alpha. Besides, I trust Derek with my life so I asked him to bite me again."

She nodded in understanding. "Deucalion is a scary bastard."

"No shit."

The door opened then and their Alpha filled the doorway with more than just his body; his very presence seemed to seep into the room. His red eyes glared at Stiles and he stalked forward while growling. Erica whimpered and Stiles reached over to ruffle her hair.

"Derek. Be pissed at me all you want but stop scaring Erica."

"You can't keep doing this Stiles."

Derek was right. He should have waited. "I won't apologize for helping Erica." Stiles kept his gaze just beneath Derek's and so not quite making eye contact. "But I should have called you first. I'm sorry."

"What possessed you to go ahead with this?"

"Ms. Blake."

Derek tensed. "What does she have to do with this?"

A whine, a freaking whine trembled out of his throat, and the sound must have freaked the others out because Erica was suddenly huddled into his side while Derek was pulling them both close to him. The stubble was a bit prickly but the burn healed in a second. "Stiles."

"I think she's the Darach."

"Why do you think that?"

"Because she tried to work some sort of magic on me...and her eyes. I haven't seen eyes that devoid of humanity since Gerard." He shuddered. "She's evil." He pulled back a bit and smacked Derek's shoulder. "You sure can pick'em."

Derek snorted and thumped his head, gently. "Are you going to do a background check on all my potential girlfriends?"

Stiles stilled. "That's not a bad idea."

"Stiles!"

"Relax, I didn't mean that, I meant I could check to see if she has a record, or how far back her records go. Cause if she's the Darach then there is no way she can be that pretty." He grimaced. "The face in the fire was soo not pretty."

"What exactly did I miss while I was in a coma?"

"A whole bunch of weird and confusing shit."

"Yeah?" Erica looked thoughtful and sipped at her coffee. "Oh, hey, is Jackson still a Murder Lizard?"

"Nah, Lydia stopped him. Then Peter and Derek killed him...then he came back to life as a werewolf."

She stared. "Seriously? Who's Peter?"

"Derek's crazy uncle who we set on fire and Derek killed to become Alpha...only he came back to life too."

She blinked and peered into her coffee. "If the vet spiked my drink I'd be able to tell, right?"

Derek sighed as he pulled her forward until her forehead touched his. "I'm glad you're here."

"Good. Now, you can feed us."

"Stiles."

"Come on Derek, we're growing Werepups. I'll...hmm." He glanced at Erica. "Do you want to go home? See your folks?"

Her eyes teared up and she nodded. "I think I'd better...but I better do it alone. I'm not sure how they're gonna take it. I mean I've been missing for months."

Stiles nodded. "Someone should at least be nearby." His eyes met Derek's. "So she won't get grabbed again."

"I'll go." Derek frowned. "And what are you going to do?"

"Make an appearance with my dad. Make sure my cover for last night held up. I won't be much help if I'm grounded. Also I can do a background check on Ms. Blake."

"Alright. You call me when you find something, anything. Erica? I can drive you most of the way."

She nodded and let Derek help her to her feet. "I'll see you guys later? If my mom lets me leave the house."

Stiles made a noise of agreement and watched his Alpha and pack mate leave the backroom and continued to listen to their departure, catching the familiar thrum of the Camaro's engine as it drove away. A moment later Deaton came in carrying a pouch and then flung a handful of black powder at Stiles.

Stiles felt his mind flex, the powder hovered before it touched him, and then slowly dropped to a small neat pile on the counter. He and Deaton looked at the powder before making eye contact. "What the hell dude?"

"Interesting."

"Yeah, that wasn't bad for a parlor trick...what gives?"

"You can still manipulate Mountain Ash." Deaton's look was thoughtful. "Though I doubt you can touch it or cross it...but if you can manipulate it with your mind, your spark, you won't need to touch it."

"And all that meant what?"

"It means, Stiles, that I'm not sure what you are. You're a werewolf...but still a spark. _You_ may very well be something truly amazing."

"Okay then." Stiles shook his head and stood. "I'm just gonna go now if you're done being mysterious and cryptic."

"I suppose I have met my quota for the day." He handed the pouch to Stiles. "I'll see you soon."

Stiles didn't doubt that.

xxx

Werewolf senses were awesome. And at this point they were totally worth going through his unconventional turning with the multiple bites and the black sludgy puke of doom. Because he could sense them before he heard them...and he heard them before he saw them. Though why the hell they were in the produce section at WalMart he had no idea but there they were. Kali and Deucalion.

Like he said - he'd felt them and heard them before he turned around to see them. Deucalion's little cane wasn't exactly quiet and Kali really should trim her nails. And there was a chance he was extra aware of Deucalion's presence because of that first gnarly bite.

Stiles flicked his eyes to them before going back to examining the bags of salad. "I'm pretty sure there's a 'no shoes no service' policy in place here. Besides, that's just unhygienic. I mean you walked through a _hospital_ barefoot. You have any idea the kinds of fluids that hit an ER floor." He threw in a shudder for dramatic effect.

Kali bared her teeth at him and Deucalion chuckled. At least the head guy appreciated his sense of humor and wit. "I had thought I'd be welcoming a pack mate but I see you foiled my plan."

Stiles put a bag of salad in his cart. "Duke, I'm not even sure which was your real plan. Turn me so I can kill Derek and take his power. Turn me so I'd be Scott bait. Or Turn me so Derek can kill me and be one step closer to being a super Alpha. Frankly, I don't like any of those plans."

"But they all have merit...however that bit about your friend Scott confuses me."

Stiles sighed. "Scott's going to be an Alpha. He's already used an Alpha roar. You want him."

Kali's glare intensified but Deucalion only smiled. "You are smart aren't you Stiles, so very, very clever. But...maybe my plan wasn't quite what you think."

"Probably not. You keep things pretty close to the chest."

"Indeed." Deucalion moved closer, Stiles palmed the pouch of Mountain Ash in his pocket. "Perhaps...I want all three of you. Derek, an untrained Alpha. Scott, who will be a True Alpha...and you...I'm not quite sure what you are yet. But I think I want you too."

"I have an Alpha. That Alpha would be Derek. Scott is ours and you can't have any of us."

"You're pretty mouthy for a Beta." Kali's look was somehow both annoyed and unimpressed.

Stiles grinned. "I'm not even gonna respond to that because anything I say will sound kinkier than I want it to and neither of you are my type. I'm not into crazy stalkers who like to kidnap and torture minors." He said the last sentence louder than he should have but that was the point. They were in the middle of Walmart, in the afternoon, and one of his dad's deputies was drawing ever closer.

Deucalion nodded. "Well played Stiles. Come Kali, we have errands to run." He held his arm out and Kali led him away from Stiles.

The deputy gave Stiles a look and he shook his head and shrugged, the look intensified. Damn. His dad was going to hear about this.

Maybe he should grab a box of donuts; it might ease things along and distract his dad from giving him a full interrogation.

xxx

He was unloading groceries from the Jeep when the Camaro pulled in behind it and Derek stepped out. Stiles gave him a look; one that conveyed a question of sanity on Derek's part. "What's up?"

"You're on edge."

"So you came all the way here to check on me?"

"Yes."

"Dude. That's what cell phones are for."

"Don't call me dude." And before Stiles could object Derek had the box of donuts in his hands as well as half of the other groceries and was making his way toward the front door.

"I do have super strength now." Stiles grumbled as he followed his Alpha into the house.

They made their way into the kitchen and Derek's comment brought him up short. "You're also pack."

"This makes no sense whatsoever."

Derek shrugged. "Its...odd. Having the pack bonds so strong...tight." He put the box of donuts on the table. "Erica's parents want to know everything."

"How do you feel about that?"

Hazel eyes bore into his; they were troubled but determined. "Isaac is staying with Scott while Boyd, who is eighteen, is moving into the loft. Neither of them has much in the way of family. Erica does."

"Have you told them?"

A sigh. "Erica thinks you'd be able to handle it better...but I'm the Alpha."

"Is that your response to everything?"

"Stiles."

Stiles rolled his eyes. "Okay, I'll help, kinda my job anyway right? Act as mediator, pack representative or whatever since I'm your Second."

"Right...so if you want to tell your dad..."

"You'd be okay with that?"

Derek nodded and slumped into the nearest chair. "With everything that's happened...the way the bodies are piling up it might be for the best." He was quiet for a moment. "Having Melissa in the know has helped."

"Yeah." And Stiles grinned, the expression made Derek raise a brow. "So, are you staying for dinner?"

"You're going to tell him tonight aren't you?"

"It'd be a good idea. That way when we tell Erica's parents Dad can back us up. Also stuff happened at Walmart and I'm sure Dad's gonna ask me about it."

Derek was on his feet and directly in front of Stiles. "What happened?"

"Deucalion and Kali were there...mostly Kali was just all grr and making WalMart nasty with her feet while Duke was just hovering around enjoying being vague and alluding that he's curious to see what happens."

"And what's supposed to happen?"

Stiles shrugged. "No one seems to know. Even Deaton and he totally threw Mountain Ash at me when you left."

"What?"

"And I can still control it. Which is apparently odd. So according to Deaton and Deucalion, I'm a freaking oddity that they don't know what to do with."

Derek's hand came up to rest on the side of Stiles' neck. "It doesn't matter, at least not right now. Right now we need to worry about your dad and his reaction. We'll worry about the rest later."

Stiles leaned into the touch and the rumbling that Derek was making...wait...that wasn't coming from Derek. The sound was familiar so it didn't really register as something to be alarmed over and he found himself moving closer to Derek until his forehead was resting on his Alpha's shoulder.

"Am I interrupting?"

Stiles started to jerk away at the sound of his dad's voice but Derek kept a firm grip on him. "Er...hi Dad."

The sheriff was watching them; his expression amused. "Would this have anything to do with a threatening couple who harassed you in WalMart this afternoon?" He gestured to the protective way Derek was still holding him...and still not letting go.

"Yes?" Stiles answered. "Though I think at this point if you pulled your gun Derek would probably escape out a window and drag me with him since he seems to be firmly attached to me."

"Shut up Stiles."

Stiles tried to move and Derek let him but still didn't let go. His dad snorted. "So, this has been going on for a while now."

Derek, the bastard, nodded. "It has."

Stiles gaped. "Since when?"

Derek merely looked at him, brow raised...and Stiles groaned. "You have the emotional range of a twelve year old. Seriously? That was not flirting! Adults do not flirt like that! What you did was the equivalent of tugging on a girl's pigtails."

"And you kept coming back."

"I hate you."

The sheriff was doing his best not to laugh...and failing. "I'm going to lock my gun in the safe and then shower. You two try to behave yourselves while you're fixing dinner."

Stiles hesitated for just a moment; proceeding only at Derek's nod. "Actually...I thought we'd order pizza? Derek's treat. We have a lot to talk about."

His dad only nodded. "You know your mother was friends with Talia Hale."

Derek stiffened as his eyes met the sheriff's. "What?"

"Derek's mom?"

The older Stilinski only grinned. "I'm not quite as oblivious as I seem Stiles. You can catch me up with pack business after my shower." He turned to head upstairs. "One of the pizzas better be meat lovers."

"Only if we have salad too."

"Deal." And he headed upstairs.

They watched his exit for a moment before Stiles tried to pull away...and still Derek didn't let go. "Dude?"

"Don't call me dude." With a growl Derek's mouth was on his, nipping and biting, and Stiles growled back while shoving him against the table. They only stopped when the box of donuts nearly crashed to the floor.

Stiles broke the kiss and caught the goodies, calmly putting them back. "So..." He glared at Derek. "You still give out mixed signals, which is something we'll need to work on."

"Anything else?"

"Just in case Ms. Blake decides to get in anyone's heads again, because at this point I'm thinking she might have put some sort magical whammy on you, we need magical protection...charms, wards, whatever I can come up with."

Derek grimaced but nodded. "We have a lot to work on...Stiles."

"Yeah?"

"I need you to be careful."

"Okay?"

"We just raised the stakes...we have so much more left to lose than either of us thought."

"Yeah...I know." But Stiles grinned and finally managed to pull away. "You order the pizza, I'll make the salad."

XXX


	6. Testing the Waters

Testing the Waters

calikocat

Word count: 2945

Disclaimer: Teen Wolf isn't mine.

Info: Canon up through _Motel California_. Except for the part where I refuse to kill Erica and Boyd off. So there. Stupid canon.

A/N: Started this chapter after watching _Alpha Pact_. Heard the mid-season finale got leaked? Really? That was pretty shitty of whoever did it. I waited for the official release like a proper fan.

XXX

"So." The sheriff swallowed his last bite of pizza. "The missing kids, Erica Reyes and Vernon Boyd. They're part of the Hale Pack."

Derek nodded. "They are...there's been some difficulties." Stiles snorted and Derek ignored it.

"Because of the Argents...and this Alpha Pack."

"And Jackson certainly didn't help things."

"No...No he did not." Derek rolled his eyes as he continued. "Yes...Erica only came out of her coma today. We got her and Boyd back from the Alpha pack a while ago."

"Coma? I didn't know she was at a hospital."

Stiles shook his head and stared at the salad he'd placed in front of his dad pointedly. The look made the man roll his eyes but he took a bite of it. Satisfied, Stiles began to put the left over pizza away. He hadn't expected there to be leftovers...but then he hadn't expected Derek to order five pizzas just for the three of them.

Derek shook his head. "She wasn't at a hospital; she was at Deaton's clinic. It was the safest place; she was behind a barrier of Mountain Ash."

"The vet's...Isn't it odd, for a werewolf to be in a coma?"

"Peter was catatonic for years." Derek rubbed at his face. "She'd probably still be wounded and in a coma if it wasn't for Stiles. What he did...even an experienced second would have trouble accomplishing, even with a well established pack."

"Which we are not." Stiles muttered.

Derek nodded. "No, we're not, but I think we're getting there."

The Sheriff nodded. "And Cora is alive."

Stiles eyed Derek carefully. "Where has she been all this time anyway?"

"That...bothers me some. She has no memory of the fire, doesn't know how she even got out of the house. Cora said she grew up with a pack in Canada, one that runs with real wolves. But Deucalion knew right where to find her."

Stiles put the last of the pizza, wrapped in foil in the fridge. "You think maybe one of his pack found her wandering in the woods or something that day and stashed her away until he needed her?"

"It's possible. They can take away memories...like with Isaac. But I don't know. I mean, how would he know that I'd be Alpha? Laura got the power after Mom died."

"Claudia always said the Hale Pack was old, better established than most, because it wasn't just a pack, but a family."

"Your wife was right Sheriff. We were family and it made all the difference."

"Call me John."

"John." Derek nodded and Stiles sat in the chair beside him, he faltered some when Derek tugged his chair closer, but leaned into him just a bit. "Most packs are held together by the bite. Most don't have a second who can manipulate the bonds the way Stiles has."

"He gets that from his mother. Claudia...she said something about a spark...You know." John hesitated for a second. "Talia offered her the bite once."

Stiles felt his jaw drop and knew Derek's expression was identical. "What? Why?"

"When the cancer started to..." He swallowed and blinked his eyes rapidly. "Claudia told her no. Said it wouldn't work. A spark could only become a wolf under special circumstances, cancer and sorrow didn't count as a special circumstance."

Derek's hand gripped his and Stiles found himself humming and gripping Derek's hand back. "I'm okay. It worked."

Hazel eyes bore into him. "But it shouldn't have."

"Guess we met that special circumstance."

"Jesus." His dad closed his eyes. "You didn't tell me that part."

Stiles gulped. "Yeah...werewolf now...and apparently still a spark. I asked Derek for the bite...because I didn't want to belong to Deucalion. How else would I have manipulated the pack bonds if I wasn't a wolf?"

"I just assumed you were pack as a human."

"Yes and no." Derek shifted. "He's always been at the fringe...and he's saved us all more than once. So he'd earned the right as a human but he just never joined officially."

"Official now. What with the bites and the bonds...oh hey..." He eyed Derek. "Did you know we've got a few strands that are just sort of waiting in the wind, waiting to connect to...well I don't know exactly, but they're there...just waiting."

And there was that familiar frown. "I haven't offered the bite to anyone else. No one else is on the fringe like you were."

Stiles bit his lip. "What about Lydia and Danny?"

"What about them?"

"Lydia has a connection to the pack through Peter..."

"Okay...and Danny?"

"He's helped us some...and he kinda keeps getting dragged into all this...at least a little."

The frown deepened, and Stiles noticed his dad's not so subtle grin of amusement. "You want them in the pack?"

"I want them safe...and if Aiden and Ethan are going to be sniffing around..."

"I'll think about it."

"Cool, that's all I ask." He looked at his dad. "Glad you find us amusing."

The sheriff just grinned. "Don't you have homework?"

"Yeah..." He stood. "I'll just..."

"Keep the door open boys. I'll be watching the game." And he left them alone.

"Not subtle at all old man!"

"You really want Lydia and Danny in the pack?"

Stiles nodded as Derek stood and followed him upstairs. "Yeah, he's better at hacking than me. And he's dating an Alpha werewolf who could rip him to pieces and he has no idea...not that I think Ethan would hurt him."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yeah." They entered his room and Stiles found himself pushed to the bed with Derek piled lazily on top of him. He wasn't going to complain but until an hour ago he hadn't even known Derek was interested. "Okay then."

Derek's gaze was intent as he stared down at Stiles. "A month away from being seventeen huh?"

"Yeah. So?"

"Just wondering what will go wrong. Relationships never seem to work out for me...and you being a new wolf...everything you're feeling will be so much more intense. That...can really mess with a person."

"Nah, not really. I think I have a handle on it."

"Stiles, you've barely been a werewolf for a day. You've flashed your eyes, but you haven't even shown your fangs yet. Or used your senses."

"The senses are awesome; I totally knew Deucalion and Kali were there in Walmart, like before I could even smell them. It also made grocery shopping easier; I could tell which chicken was freshest."

"It can get to be too much Stiles. You shouldn't be so easy going about it."

"Seriously?" Stiles snorted. "I'm used to this much overload."

"What do you mean?" Derek seemed honestly confused.

Stiles thought for a moment. "It's hard to explain to someone who's never been human...you've always had enhanced senses. You just naturally categorize everything that you see, smell, hear, feel. It doesn't overwhelm you like it did Scott, like it still overwhelms him sometimes."

"Okay."

"Being a werewolf...feels like...I still have my ADD. My brain doesn't have that chemical imbalance anymore...but there's still all this information to process, all these distractions. My focus is better which is cool, but this much distraction? All this constant information? It feels normal."

"Are you really comparing lycanthropy to ADD?"

"Yep."

"Only you Stiles." Derek's face relaxed, his frown all but gone as he leaned down to kiss him, this one was gentler than the first but no less intense. Their lips met, and Derek's were softer than Stiles thought they'd be. The stubble was a gratifying contrast and he welcomed the burn, slipping his hand up to cup one cheek.

"You realize despite my lack of experience, I'm not as easy as Ms. Blake...and I'm not having sex with you just after you boned the enemy. I don't care if you do look sexy with wounds that would kill a mere mortal."

"Mere mortal?" Derek growled, eyes flashing red. "Stiles."

Stiles felt his own eyes change. "You know I'm right."

The red gaze above him faded back their usual hazel. "Yeah, I know. I have groveling to do."

"Not too much. Just promise you won't do it again...and let me load you up with protection charms...and ward up the loft so she can't enter it again."

"And how are you going to keep her out specifically?" Derek asked, interested. Stiles blushed and looked away for a moment. "Stiles?"

"I might have this habit..."

"Of?"

"Collecting...hair. I think its subconscious on my part, ever since I started reading up on werewolves, myths, magic. A little bit of hair in the right spell can really fuck up an enemy...or it can be used-"

"In a ward." Derek finished. "Where did you get her hair?"

"Er...from your bed?

"When?"

"You got in the shower before I left this morning."

"Have you always been this sneaky?"

"Pretty much. Mom's fault."

"Your mother contributed to your delinquency." It was a statement and one Derek obviously did not believe.

"Dude, she totally taught me how to pick the lock on dad's cuffs...and put into different context...I really don't want to think about my parents and handcuffs." He shuddered, which seemed to do interesting things to Derek because the man above him groaned and shifted away a bit, letting his head drop down on Stiles' shoulder. Stiles breathed in... "Derek? Is that?"

Derek's voice was muffled by the fabric of Stiles' shirt. "Yeah. That's what arousal smells like."

"Oh...So you really..."

"Yes Stiles."

"But...why? I mean...I'm not..."

Derek lifted his head and shifted his body back and Stiles gasped at the hardness he felt pressing against him through their clothes. "You can smell it. You can feel it. Don't doubt what you do to me."

He swallowed and nodded. "Okay...I'm just...no one ever...God I hate being an awkward virgin."

"I know. I've been there."

A pang of jealousy swept through him unexpectedly. "Was Kate your first?"

"Yes."

"I'm glad she's dead."

And Derek grinned before kissing him chastely. "Me too." And then he was rolling off of Stiles. "You told your dad you had homework."

"Ugh. I hate you."

A hand ghosted over his hip and hazel eyes smirked down at him. "Liar."

xxx

Somehow he managed to do his homework. Stiles wasn't sure how he managed it because Derek was absolutely no help, laying sprawled on Stiles' bed reading the newest Rachel Morgan book...with his shirt riding up every time he shifted. Those _abs!_ Also...he could have sworn he'd hidden that book in a drawer. He got enough flack from Scott for reading those books.

He was just shutting his chemistry book when Derek shifted again, sitting up and frowning as he marked his spot. "How many books are in this series?"

"Ten? Eleven? Not really sure, I always wait for the paperback. Book one should be in a box under the bed."

Derek was already moving and crouching to look under the bed. He found the box and pulled it out. "What's it called?"

"Dead Witch Walking. Find it?"

"Yeah...why are they under the bed?"

"Scott calls them chick novels and we have enough to deal with without me defending my leisure reading to my best friend."

"I assumed you liked them because of your fascination with red-heads."

"That is partly true. Rachel Morgan is pretty badass."

"I'm not dying my hair." Derek slid the box back under the bed before settling back on it. He caught Stiles staring at him. "What?"

"I also consider red-heads to be mysterious beings that are unattainable to a mere mortal...werewolf...like me. Don't dye your hair. Ever."

Derek smirked at him before settling back with the first book. "I'll take it under advisement."

He snorted, before turning back to his desk and booting up his laptop. He was no Danny, so getting into the schools files for Ms. Blake would be tricky. However he totally knew his dad's log in information for the sheriff's department.

Unfortunately...all she had was a parking ticket from the beginning of the semester. But there was an address because she'd paid with a check. Interesting.

"Find something?"

"Huh?" Stiles looked behind him; Derek was up and moving closer. "How'd you know?"

"Your heart beat."

"Right. Well, I have Blake's address. We might want to scope it out, see if it's real."

"I can drive by it tonight-"

"No. You don't go anywhere near her until after I have you loaded down with protection charms."

"I'm the Alpha. I'll be fine-"

Stiles cut him off with a kiss, slipping his tongue into Derek's mouth, as he somehow managed to pull the bulkier man into his lap. He kept an iron grip on Derek as he kissed him, doing a thorough exploration of his mouth. Derek pulled back, looking down at him with an amused look.

"You got possessive awfully fast."

"Have you met me? Do you really know me? Have you seen the way I glare at Isaac for moving in with Scott and making puppy eyes at my best friend? The only friend I had for years?"

"You aren't concerned at all that I'm the Alpha."

"You aren't scary." When Derek raised that brow he elaborated. "The night Peter offered me the bite, before he offered actually; I was the only thing between him and Lydia. He'd already bitten her, she was unconscious, bleeding and he was still crouched over her. I didn't care; I threw myself on the ground and begged for her life."

"You're insane."

"I get that sometimes. I just...don't like seeing people I care about hurt, or in danger, not if I can do something."

"You throw yourself into the fray, no matter what the cost."

"Pretty much."

Derek snorted and placed his forehead to Stiles', letting it rest there. "Then I'm glad you're a werewolf. Training starts tomorrow."

"We going to do more than throw me around, like actual fighting? Do you actually know how to do the fighting thing?"

"Do you?" Derek countered.

"Guess you'll find out tomorrow." Stiles turned to look towards his doorway. "Night, Dad."

His dad peered into the room, seeming surprised that Stiles had heard him coming. "That will take some getting used to." He motioned to the Alpha sitting in Stiles' lap. "If Derek is staying the night then he's in the guestroom or on the couch."

"Actually, I should probably go."

"The loft isn't warded yet." Stiles gave his dad his best puppy eyes, puppy eyes which sometimes miraculously worked on Scott's mom who'd been known to occasionally crumble before Scott's puppy eyes. Scott was the King of Puppy eyes; he'd been a good teacher. "Isaac is at Scott's. Cora is with Peter; Boyd is with his family for the night, as is Erica. Derek was recently mind whammied by a Dark Druid-ish older woman."

"Stiles."

"I didn't even know he liked me until tonight. Nothing is going to happen."

John eyed them, eyed their position...and then just looked at Derek. Derek shrugged. "I have groveling to do...and Stiles isn't budging an inch...and..." A faint blush tinged Derek's cheeks. "We're not ready."

"Somewhere, your mother is looking down on me and laughing her ass off." He sighed. "Clothes stay on." And he crossed the hall to his own room. "Door stays open." He called as an afterthought.

"Awesome." Stiles stood, Derek still in his grasp. "Whoa." He looked down; Derek wasn't just in his grasp, but in his arms. "Right...super strength. Forgot."

Derek snickered into his shoulder. In retaliation he dumped Derek on the bed. "Hush you. I'm going to get a clean pair of sweats from the dryer. They should fit you; they're Dad's...unless you want to sleep in those tight jeans."

Derek waved him off. "Sweats are fine."

He nodded and grabbed his own night clothes, a simple t-shirt and sleep pants, before heading down the hall to change.

When they settled under the covers a half hour later, curled together, Stiles face tucked into Derek's throat...an image popped into his mind. "Hey."

"What?"

"I think I remember your mom."

"Yeah?"

Stiles nodded a bit and yawned. "She came by a lot when Mom was sick. Pretty lady, kinda long brunette hair. Always thought she looked like a warrior queen." He smacked Derek's shoulder when he laughed. "Shut up, I had a fascination with Xena. Anyway, that day...when I unplugged the machines. She was there. When the nurses made me sit in the hall. Your mom was there and let me sit in her lap until Dad got there."

Derek held him tighter. "I'm glad you weren't alone after that."

"Me too. Your mom was awesome." And then Stiles was asleep, leaving Derek with a feeling of warmth he hadn't felt in years.

XXX


End file.
